Warming temperatures could unleash termites in more areas of the world, and more termites may actually accelerate warming temperatures. Scientists say it's time for climate prediction models to take note.
Not only do termites find warm and humid climates more hospitable, but they consume and decay wood at much higher rates in such climates, according to an international team of scientists including FIU biologist Oscar Valverde-Barrantes. As the termites consume wood, they release stored carbon into the atmosphere. More carbon dioxide means higher temperatures — a vicious cycle not currently accounted for in current climate predictions, Valverde-Barrantes said.
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